the PANDA look
Tonight I scrolled through my facebook private PANDAS group and read through several entries, questions, comments, and couldn't help feeling overwhelmed. PANDAS is such a new diagnosis that it seems I am not the only mom out there trying to figure out the best treatment for their child. Between antibiotics, IVIG, supplements, steroid bursts, it's difficult to decide which path is best for each unique situation. The one thing every child had in common on this site was the depleted immune system. Healthy cells and tissue being attacked by antibodies that read it as harmful.
I haven't been doing too many google searches lately, but after reading several entries, I thought I would pair the search of "PANDAS" and "Vitiligo." I did come across a few articles, but one in particular brought me to tears. The story is of a young mother whose daughter was born critically ill, and Vitiligo started due to the stress of the event. She now has patches on her face which she covers with thick makeup, her hands have turned completely white, and there are large areas on her arms and legs visible to all. The one paragraph that hit me hard discussed the ring around her eyes that developed. It started around both eyes, like a mask, and then progressed from her nose to her mouth. The depigmented skin left her looking "like a panda."
Gulp. Besides the large patch on Hunter's hip that started post-infection, the very noticeable ring around his eyes became more apparent this summer (which prompted our visit to the pediatric dermatologist who diagnosed him with Vitiligo). I never correlated the link between a Panda and the disease. I find it quite intriguing that the one animal that presents prominently in Vitiligo is the very name of the disease that started the cascade of events that led to this incurable, long-term loss of skin color.
Interesting enough, Pandas are solitary animals, and they are born white, developing their "much loved coloring later" (National Geographic.com).
I can't say I love Pandas at this point. The name, the connotation, the image...all honestly make me want to scream for a bit. Vitiligo has been on my mind the last few days because I have noticed two more white patches that have developed, one on his hip, and the other on his backside. Daily I am reminded that my son is different, and that he has to struggle so much more than the typical four year old. How saddened am I to think that there could be a distinct visual difference that is apparent at first glance. I will never love him any the less; however, a world that is often too focused on outward appearance could treat him different and make him "solitary."
If I could wave my magic wand, I would keep his beautiful skin the uniformed color it once was. However, I can't change the past, so we focus on the future. Like a panda, this new colouring will just have to be "much loved."
I haven't been doing too many google searches lately, but after reading several entries, I thought I would pair the search of "PANDAS" and "Vitiligo." I did come across a few articles, but one in particular brought me to tears. The story is of a young mother whose daughter was born critically ill, and Vitiligo started due to the stress of the event. She now has patches on her face which she covers with thick makeup, her hands have turned completely white, and there are large areas on her arms and legs visible to all. The one paragraph that hit me hard discussed the ring around her eyes that developed. It started around both eyes, like a mask, and then progressed from her nose to her mouth. The depigmented skin left her looking "like a panda."
Gulp. Besides the large patch on Hunter's hip that started post-infection, the very noticeable ring around his eyes became more apparent this summer (which prompted our visit to the pediatric dermatologist who diagnosed him with Vitiligo). I never correlated the link between a Panda and the disease. I find it quite intriguing that the one animal that presents prominently in Vitiligo is the very name of the disease that started the cascade of events that led to this incurable, long-term loss of skin color.
Interesting enough, Pandas are solitary animals, and they are born white, developing their "much loved coloring later" (National Geographic.com).
I can't say I love Pandas at this point. The name, the connotation, the image...all honestly make me want to scream for a bit. Vitiligo has been on my mind the last few days because I have noticed two more white patches that have developed, one on his hip, and the other on his backside. Daily I am reminded that my son is different, and that he has to struggle so much more than the typical four year old. How saddened am I to think that there could be a distinct visual difference that is apparent at first glance. I will never love him any the less; however, a world that is often too focused on outward appearance could treat him different and make him "solitary."
If I could wave my magic wand, I would keep his beautiful skin the uniformed color it once was. However, I can't change the past, so we focus on the future. Like a panda, this new colouring will just have to be "much loved."
Comments
Post a Comment